Hospital Suspends Doctor Over Alleged Delay In Emergency Response

The management of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Daura, has suspended a doctor for three months following allegations of delayed response in the treatment of a patient who later died after being referred to another hospital.

The disciplinary action was disclosed by the medical director of the hospital, Dr Umar Farouk, while responding to concerns raised by the family of the deceased patient through their legal representatives.

Farouk said the patient was referred to FMC Daura from the Armed Forces Reference Hospital, Daura, on April 23 after reportedly reacting to a blood transfusion administered at the referring facility.

He explained that the patient was admitted through the Accident and Emergency Unit and subsequently transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for specialised care.

Farouk acknowledged that the doctor who was on call at the time failed to arrive promptly, prompting hospital authorities to intervene.

“The patient arrived in a critical condition, and when it became clear that the on-call doctor had not responded as expected, I was contacted in the early hours of the morning.

I came to the hospital around 4 a.m., attended to the patient, resuscitated her and stabilised her in the ICU,” he said.

The medical director stated that the hospital immediately directed its SERVICOM unit to investigate the circumstances surrounding the delayed response.

Following the investigation, management received a report and took disciplinary action against the doctor involved.

“The investigation report was submitted to management, and the doctor concerned has been suspended for three months pending the outcome of further investigations,” Dr. Farouk said.

He added that the patient’s relatives later requested that she be transferred to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, a request approved by FMC Daura.

According to him, the hospital provided an ambulance and an intensive care nurse to accompany the patient during the transfer.

“It was after the transfer that we learnt the patient passed away in Katsina. We do not have details of the circumstances surrounding her death there,” he added.

Dr. Farouk also revealed that he personally led a delegation of hospital officials to visit and condole the bereaved family after learning of the patient’s death.

Meanwhile, a Kano-based law firm, Abdullahi Mohammed & Co. (Jurist Chamber), acting on behalf of the family, has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the hospital management, demanding the conclusion of investigations and communication of disciplinary measures taken over the incident.

The medical director confirmed receipt of the legal correspondence, noting that the matter had been referred to the hospital’s legal department.

“We have responded through our legal officer, informing them of the actions already taken, including the suspension of the doctor and the ongoing investigations. We are appealing to the family to allow due process while management continues to address the matter responsibly,” he said.

Dr. Farouk reiterated the hospital’s commitment to accountability, stressing that any staff member found culpable after the completion of investigations would face appropriate sanctions.